Changing Hue with Force: Tuning the color transition of mechanophores

Synopsis

Mechanophores are molecules where physical deformation forces open a chemical ring, resulting in a color shift. Many mechanophores exhibit a reversible transition which allows them to “reset” over some period of time or under laser stimulation. These molecules are of interest for applications, such as visualizing stress and strain in polymeric systems and nanolithography. For nanolithography, interfacial mechanophores activated by AFM probes can be used to decouple molecules of the surface film with high spatial resolution to create nanoscale patterns and textures. I will discuss several factors that affect the activation kinetics of mechanophores and discuss an application of these molecules.